2026 NFL Draft live: Raiders select Fernando Mendoza No1, Jets take David Bailey, Cardinals pick Jeremiah Love

The 91st NFL Draft is underway in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! The event is being held at Acrisure Stadium, with a massive 12,000 square foot fan village in Point State Park. The draft returns to Pittsburgh for the first time since 1948, when it was held at the old Fort Pitt Hotel.

Pittsburgh-based singer-songwriter KELS performs the National Anthem, with a slight miss at the end - 7/10 score.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell walks on to boos from the Pittsburgh crowd, egging on the reaction. He's flanked by TJ Watt and Cam Heyward of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Former Pittsburgh greats Terry Bradshaw and Lynn Swann are also welcomed to the stage.

**No1: Las Vegas Raiders select QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana**

With the first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders select Heisman Trophy winner and national champion Fernando Mendoza, quarterback from Indiana.

Mendoza watched the draft from his home, wanting to share the moment with his mother who has multiple sclerosis, his father, and close family and friends. ESPN had a camera inside the Mendoza home to document the moment.

Ollie Connolly's verdict: "Mendoza is a big-bodied, tough, accurate quarterback. He has the size of Carson Palmer with wheels that remind you of Daniel Jones: enough athleticism to stumble for first downs but not a five-alarm fire in the open field. As a passer, he wins with pre-snap recognition and accuracy. He doesn't have a cannon for an arm, but he can make all the throws."

The knock on his game is the system he played in at Indiana - one drenched in RPOs - and his lack of quickness in the pocket. "Mendoza can be a little robotic when navigating against pressure in the backfield. It will take some time for him to develop in a full-field, NFL offense, but he has the tools and intellect to be an upper-tier starter in the league. He will probably fall somewhere on the continuum between Matt Ryan and Kirk Cousins."

**No2: New York Jets select David Bailey, LB, Texas Tech**

The Jets nab David Bailey, the linebacker from Texas Tech. He should help the Jets do something on defense after they regressed significantly last season. Bailey had 14.5 sacks for Tech last year.

Ollie Connolly's verdict: "Bailey is the most explosive pass-rusher in the draft. He is all about burst off the ball and flattening to the quarterback. Think Denver's Nik Bonitto. Speed-only pass-rushers have a dodgy history in the NFL; the bust rate is higher than that of players who rely on power. And Bailey's outlook is no different. Right now, he's a zero against the run, which could cap his ceiling. At times in college, he wasn't an every-down player but was used as a pass-rush specialist. Still, he has the league's most valuable commodity: unteachable hops. But he will need to develop as a run defender to become an every-down presence."

**No3: Arizona Cardinals select Jeremiah Love, RB, Notre Dame**

Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort selects Jeremiah Love, running back from Notre Dame.

The article notes: "Only 21 touchdowns last season for the Irish, which is OK, not great." And adds: "I think it's still a gamble to take an RB that high, especially when the team is bad and the offensive line is porous - see Barkley, see Jeanty."

Ollie Connolly's verdict: "48.5 percent of his career rushing yards have come on explosive runs of at least 15-plus yards, one of the highest marks in the history of college football. As a receiver, he averaged 10.4 yards per reception in his final year at Notre Dame. He is, in every sense, a chunk play waiting to happen. Oh, and he's also happy to stick his nose in and blast pass-rushers in pass protection."

"You can quibble about the value of running backs in the first round, but Love is more Jahmyr Gibbs or Bijan Robinson than he is Leonard Fournette or Najee Harris. He will be an instant-impact player as a runner and receiver."

The draft continues with the Titans on the clock at No4.

**Draft timing changes:** This year, the time between first-round selections has been shortened from 10 minutes to eight minutes - the first timing adjustment since 2008. Round 2 has seven minutes, with five minutes thereafter.